Railway-tie.



PATENTE-D APR. 4, 1905.

J. S. ALEXANDER.

RAILWAY TIB. APPLICATION FILED MA1?..14. 1904.

Patented April 4, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN S. ALEXANDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY-TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,254, dated April 4, 1905.

Application filed March 14, 1904. Serial No. 197,958.

To (1J/Z whom, it mmv/J cm1/cern.:

Bc it known that I, JOHN S. ALEXANDER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New .York city, State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Railway-Ties, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a metallic railroad-tie having a support for the rails which is as elastic as or more elastic than the support presented by the ordinary wooden tie and permits of the use of the same class of rail-fastenings as are permissible in the case of a wooden tie, further objects of the invention being to insure the proper drainage of the tie, to provide a secure fastening for the rails, to permit of the ready replacing of the perishable portions of the tie at small expense, and to adapt the tie for use in electric railways Where the track-rails serve as returnconductors for the current.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan view of a railway-tie constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of the same on the,

line a a, Fig. l; and Figs. 3 and 4 are views of certain elements of the structure.

The tie proper consists of a metallic beam ward, although the beam may be truncated or of other angular form in cross-section and still embody certain features of my invention. Fitted within this tie at each end and also at the center are a series of Wooden blocks 2, 3, 4, and 5, suitably shaped to iit together and fill the space within the tie except at the bottom, the said blocks 2, 3, and 4 projecting above the top of the tie and serving for the support of the track-rails 6 and 7 and also for the support of an intermediate third rail 8 when the tie is used for an electric railway, this central third rail serving as the. means whereby the current is conveyed to the motors on the car. The central block may be in one piece, if desired, instead of being composed of upper and lower sections i and 5, or a single suitablyeshaped block may take the place of the series of blocks described.

Bearing-plates 9 are interposed between the base-ange of each rail and the blocks 2, 3, and 4, so as to distribute the weight of the rail and its load throughout a large area of said blocks, and thus prevent such wear of the same as might result if the bearing-sun face was limited simply to that portion of the base-flange of the rail which would otherwise be in contact with the blocks. These wooden rail-supporting blocks are retained in the tie in the following manner: Passing round the tie and over the tops of the blocks 2, 3, and et on each side of the rail is a metallic strap 10, which conforms to the shape of the tie and blocks and is riveted or otherwise secured together at the base of the tie, the strap being also, by preference, provided with upturned projecting portions ll for engaging with the ballast in which the tie is embedded, and thereby increasing the hold of the tie upon the ballast, so that lateral displacement of the tie will not depend whollyupon the masses of ballast at the ends of the tie and upon its frictional hold upon the intervening mass of ballast. Concrete may be massed about these upturned ends of the confining-straps and may also incase the metallic portion of the tie, if desired, in order to increase the stability of the tie. The blocks and straps being properly adjusted upon the tie, a wedge 12 with beveled sides is driven longitudinally beneath the lower block 5 or beneath the single central block, if only one is used, the beveled sides of this wedge bearing upon the beveled sides of the tie, so that the effect of the longitudinal driving of the wedge is to lift the entire series of blocks and to force the same firmly against the enveloping-straps l0, the operation being practically the reverse of that of driving hoops upon a barrel and the result being the rigid confinement of the wooden blocks to the metallic tie in their proper longitudinal positions in respect thereto.

The under side of each wedge l2 is preferably arched, as shown in Fig. 2, so that said Wedge will not interfere with the free longitudinal escape of water from the bottom of the tie, proper drainage of the latter being thereby insured, and the objections which might arise from the freezing' of water in the tie being effectually overcome. ln order to prevent longitudinal displacement of the supportingblocks on the tie due to outward thrust of the IOO wheels upon the rails, a bolt 18 extends transversely across the upper portion of the tie in contact with the outer faces of each set of supporting-blocks, as shown in Fig. 1, and in order to provide proper support for these bolts, as well as to stiffen and strengthen those portions of the tie with which the bolts eng'age, said tie is ribbed or thickened at each of its upper edges, as shown at 14 in Fig. 2, and it may also be ribbed in such other places as will increase its hold on the ballast, such thickeningof the edge portions of the tie and ribbing of other'portions of the same being readily effected during the rolling operation whereby the tie is produced.

In order to increase the elasticity of the railsupport afforded by the wooden blocks, cushions 15, of paper, vulcanized liber, felt, or other suitable material, are interposed between the block 4 and the blocks 2 and 3 and also between the block 5 and the tie, and similar cushions may be interposed between the blocks 2 and S/and the tie, if desired, these cushions also having the effect of absorbing shocks and overcoming any tendency of the rail to lift the tie as said rail rises after the passage of the wheel of an engine or car over the same, the loosening of the rail in the ballast due to such lifting of the same being thereby prevented. The rails may, if desired, be secured by the usual spikes, which can be driven directly into the blocks 4 and 5, as shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 1; butI prefer to use as a rail-fastening a threaded bolt 16, which has a flange 17 bearing upon the base-flange of the rail and is screwed into a dowel-pin 18, the latter being contained in an opening' formed in the blocks 4 and 5, which opening is tapered, being largest in diameter at the bottom, so that the upward pullof the bolt 16 upon the dowel-pin 18 tends to wedge thc latter more and more firmly in the opening'. The dowel-pin and opening may be of oval or other than circular cross-section in order to prevent the pin from turning' when the bolt is screwed into it.

rlhe dowel-pin 18 can be made of hard wood, while the blocks Q, 3, 4, and 5 can be made of softer and cheaper wood, or some of these blocks 2, 3, 4, and 5 may be made of harder wood than the others. For instance, the blocks 2 and 3, which are exposed, may be made of harder wood than the blocks 4 and 5,

'which are protected, this provision for making the rail-support of different kinds of wood being one of the reasons for the use of the series of blocks in said rail-support and another reason being that any one of the series of blocks which may become defective by reason of wear or climatic conditions may be removed and replaced without disturbing' or renewing any of the other blocks with consequent economy as compared with the use of a rail-supporting block in one piece. In carrying out this feature of my invention, however, it may not be necessary to use as many blocks in each rail-support as I have shown and described. For instance, in some cases an upper and lower block only may be needed, or in other cases but one or two longitudinal blocks only may be used.

In order to increase the hold of the dowelpin 18 upon the blocks 4 and 5, I interpose between said dowel-pin and the blocks a sleeve 19, of metal or other suitable material, preferably corrugated, as shown in Fig. 2, so that as the dowelfpin is drawn up by the action of the bolt 16 the corrugations will bite into the surface of the same and also into the blocks 4 and 5, and thus retain a lirm hold upon each, the sleeve being split, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to permit it to expand under the wedg'e-like action of the tapering dowel-pin. Between the top of the doWel-pin and the plate 9 or other lixed bearing above the pin is inserted a cushion 22, which imparts a certain degree of elasticity to the rail-fastening. This cushion is shown in the drawings as consisting of a coiled spring; but it may be a helical spring or a mass of elastic or semi-elastic material, such as rubber, paper, vulcanized fiber, or the like.

The Wooden blocks which constitute the rail-supports serve to insulate said rails from the metallic portion of the tie, and conse- 9 quently from each other and from the third rail 8 when the latter is employed, these conditions being necessary in the case of an elec tric road. By making the tie in the form of an angular beam or bar open at the top the same can be weighted with ballast, as shown, for instance, at 2O in Fig. 1, as Well asembedded in the ballast like an ordinary tie. Hence the tie becomes a part of the permanent way instead of 'a part of the track structure, and vertical movements of the track under the pressure of passing' loads are absorbed by the elastic track-supports of the tie without causing any corresponding vertical movement of the tie itself, thus overcoming the objection to ordinary metallic ties in which the wedging or bolting together of the tie and rail makes the tie a part of the rail structure, so that it rises and falls with the flexing' of the rail Linder a rapidly-moving train, and thereby causes a churning of the road-bed, especially at the end of the tie, with the effect of crushing and squeezing out the ballast, while the hard-tamped ballast under the center of the tie remains intact or ballcd and supplies a fulcrum, which permits a seesaw motion of the tie, resulting in the vertical bending of the latter and corresponding' impairment of the proper alinernent of the track. The open top of the tie may be filled with concrete instead of ballast, if desired.

The use of spikes or bolts as a rail-fastening' in my improved tie overcomes the objection to the steel wedg'es or bolts and nuts sometimes used in connection with metal ties,

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k count.

Each ofthe wedges 12 employed in connection with my improved tie is embedded in the ballast, and therefore difficult of access, and it is furthermore driven so tightly as to be difhcult to remove by hand. Each wedge is, however, provided, as shown in Fig. 4, with aseries of openings 21 for the reception of a crowbar or other implement whereby it can be loosened when it is desired to remove any of the blocks of the rail-sup port. In light track construction or in roads upon which the trafiic is light asingle band 10 may be sufficientfor each rail-support, and by properly disposing the rail-supports upon the tie rails may be permitted to cross the tie at any desired point and at any desired angle, as in the case of switches, frogs; or crossings.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by'Letters Patent- 1. The combination of a metallic railway-tie of angular cross-section, open at the top, with wooden rail-supporting blocks, each composed of' upper and lower sections fitted together, the upper section being divided longitudinally, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of ametallic railway-tie consisting of a beam or bar open-at the top, wooden rail-supporting blocks confined to said tie, and cushions interposed between said railsupporting blocks and the tie, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of ametallic railway-tie consisting' of a bar or beam of angular crosssection, open at the top, with rail-supporting blocks confined to said tie, and each consisting of a series ofl sections, with cushions interposed between the blocks and the tie and also between the sections of the blocks, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of ametallic railway-tie consisting of a bar or beam of angular crosssection, open at the top, with wooden rail-supporting blocks confined to said tie, and discontinued some distance above the apex of' the angle at the base of the tie, so as to provide a drainage-passage at the bottom of the tie, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of a metallic railway-tie consisting of' a bar or beam of angular crosssection, open at the top, rail-supporting blocks fitted to said tie, and retaining-straps enveloping said tie and its contained blocks, and having bent ends for engaging with the ballast in which the tieis embedded, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of' a metallic railway-tie consisting of' a bar or beam of' angular crosssection, open at the top, rail-supporting blocks fitted to said tie, confining-straps for said blocks, and wedges interposed between the blocks and the tie, and serving to force said blocks into contact with the confining-straps, substantially as specified.

7. The combination ofl ametallic railway-tie consisting of a bar or beam of angular crosssection, open at the top, rail-supporting blocks fitted to said tie, confining straps for said blocks, and wedges interposed between the blocks and the tie, and serving to force said blocks into contact with the confining-straps, said wedges being recessed to form drainageopenings at the base of the tie, substantially as specified.

8. The combination of a metallic railway-tie consisting of a bar or beam of angular crosssection, open at the top, rail-supporting blocks fitted to said tie and receiving the rail-fastenings, and transverse bolts engaging the tie and preventing lateral displacement of said blocks, and of the fastening' devices carried thereby, substantially as specified.

9. A metallic railway-tie consisting of' a bar or beam of angular cross-section, open at the top, and having its upper edges ribbed or thickened, substantially as specified.

10. The combination of a metallic railwaytie consisting of' a bar or beam of angular crosssection, open at the top, and having its upper edges ribbed or thickened, railsupporting blocks fitted to said tie, and transverse bolts crossing the tie and engaging the thickened edge portions of the same, said bolts providing `a bearing for the rail-supporting blocks and preventing lateral displacement of the same, substantially as specified.

11. The combination of a metallic railway- IOO tie consisting of a bar or beam of angular crosssection open at the top, rail-supporting blocks fitted to said tie and receiving the rail fastenings, and transverse bolts engaging the tie and crossing the same at the outer ends of the blocks, said bolts bearing upon and preventing outward lateral displacement of said blocks, substantially as specified.

12. The combination of a rail-support having a tapering opening therein, greater in diameter at the bottom than at the top, with a dowel-pin fitted to said openings, and a railsecuring device engaging saiddowel-pin, substantially as specified.

13. The combination of' a rail-support having an opening therein, a dowel-pin engaging said opening and receiving the rail-fastening device, and a sleeve interposed between said dowel-pin and the rail-support, substantially as specified.

14. The combination of a rail-support having an opening therein, a dowel-pin engagin, said opening and receiving the rail-fastening device, and a sleeve interposed between said dowel-pin and the rail-support, said sleeve being split so as to permit of expansion and contraction, substantially as specified.

15. The combination of a rail-support havingI un openingl therein, n dowel-pin engaging said opening` und receiving the rail-'fastening device, and :t sleeve interposed between said dowelpin and the rail-support, said sleeve being' corrugated horizontally, substantially as specilied.

16. The combination of n railway-tie having an opening therein, n dowel-pin fitted to said opening, a rail-Securing device engaging Said dowel-pin, and an elastic medium which resists upward movement of the dowel-pin, Substantially as specified.

17 rl`he combination of a railway-tie having an opening' therein, a rail-bearing plate mounted upon Said tie, :i dowel-pin litted to the openingl in the tie, a rail-securingI device engaging said dowel-pin, and en elastic medium interposed between the top of the dowel-pin and the rail-bearing plate, substantially as specilied.

18. The combination of @L railway-tie having' en opening` therein of other than circular crosssection, n dowel-pin tted to said opening and a rail-securing' device engaging seid dowelpin, substantially as specilied.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of two sub- Scribing1 witnesses.

JOHN S. ALEXANDER.

Titnessesz W. R. TRAVERS, M. MoRAN. 

